Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-12-22
INSECT GEM HUNTERS.
How tho Navajo Indians of New mexiOO
Obtain Precious Stones.

4 =
| ~. N.vaso Tndians of New Mexico
Obtain Precious Stones.
There is an original garnet mine'
and the miner as well. " said my COM
panion, as we were riding among the
| mountains OF New Mexico.
Following the direction OF his glance
saw tail, weit-formed Navajo ln-
dian standing motionless by what APP
peared to be snail sand heap.
Wishing to investigate we drew nearer.
and found that the statnesque native
was watching one OF the many ant
hills that dot the country through New
Mexico and Arizona as well. As we
approached he hardly looked up. APP
pearing Indifferent after the fashion OF
his race, and his object was still an
enigma, at least to me.
The Navajo tribe had never prod
uced naturalist and it was hardly
possible that he had been studying the
habits of the insects. Perhaps he was
trying to collect enough for dinner
Indians have been known to eat ants
But this Indian was. after all. a close
observer, and " as reaping his reward.
for when I asked him what he was do
ing he held out small bag, the con-
tents of which turned out upon my
hand-garnets. small but good, in
great numbers, bits of quartz that
cleaned like diamonds, here a bit OF
turquoise, large quantities of Divine
and single gem, an emerald. of but
little value, but an emerald after all
An ant hill was curious place from
which to take such a strange assort-
ment but as my friend had suggest
ed, this was the original native mine,
and the real miners were the ants. In
piling up their dome-like homes they
brought out the minute gems one
by one and placed them among
the bits of sand, where they
cleaned and flashed as if invit-
ing collection. The Indians have dis
covered their value, and in this way
did their mining, allowing the ants to
do all the work and taking the gems
as fast as they were brought up.
The stones found in this way range
in size from the head of a pin to large
pea, and, besides the ones mentioned,
rubies have been taken from the heaps.
These stolen gems are sold in lots and
used in various kinds of jewelry.
Nearly every ant-hill is examined in
this way and the mounds gone over.
often the ants being watched and the
gems taken from them as soon as
brought up.
Whether the little insects have a
liking for glistening objects it is
difficult to determine, but from the
fact that so many gems are brought to
the surface, there would seem to be
reason to suppose they had 1t would
be extremely difficult to name an
industry followed by man that did not
have prototype in the lower animal
kingdom. Our humble friends have
their trades. their seeming arts and
sciences, just as we have. Hence we
may not be surprised if we find miners
whose work compares favorably with
that of human beings.
In an ant family that I have been
watching some time, well up in the
Sierra Madre mountains, Southern
California, the work is carried on in
very methodical manner, the workers
apparently being protected by soldier
ants, with huge heads and powerful
jaws. For some time watched these
miners at work, noticing the regulari-
ty with which each ant seemed to de-
post its load in the same spot, and
finally I allowed the sun to pass
through my hand-glass- and form
a bright spot at the entrance
of the mine. A worker soon
passed under it, and. feeling the
fierce heat evidently rushed below
with the news, for almost Immediately
out came horde of big-jawed fighters,
who darted about, biting at the sun
spot, and showing by their actions
that they had determined to attack
the foe, whatever it was; and when !
placed my magnifying glass upon the
ground they rushed at it in great fury,
fastening their jaws upon the silver
case, and refusing to be torn away
even parting with their heads, that re-
manned for long time clinging to the
glass.
The entire operation reminded me
of the difficulties that beset the miners
in some parts of New Mexico to-day.
the miners having to be watched and
guarded by a regular corps of soldiers,
whose only duty is to do the fighting.
GOI1ea Dn,,e